Digital cameras that capture still images and digital cameras that capture movies are well-known in the art. Also, digital cameras that are capable of capturing both still images and movies are also well-known. Typically, these digital cameras with both capabilities require the user to switch from movie capture mode to still image capture mode to capture a still image while filming a movie. This is undesirable because the movie is interrupted while the user makes this manual switch of modes (and makes the switch back to resume the movie).
A prior art camera exists that allows the user to capture a still image while in movie capture mode. This camera is sold by Canon as Model S2 IS. However, when the user decides to depress the button for capturing the still image, the camera automatically deactivates the movie capture and switches over to the still image capture mode to capture the still image. This takes approximately 1 second, but it is still a second of lost movie filming. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M1 has a similar function with the same loss of movie frames.